1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an opto-electronic transducer arrangement that utilizes a lens-type optical coupling.
2. Description of the Related Art
Opto-electronic transducer arrangements are employed in light waveguide transmission or, respectively, receiver systems. Lenses, for example, spherical lenses, are employed for optically coupling the light emanating from or received by a transducer component into or out of the light waveguide. The light waveguide, for example, may be an optical fiber.
In such opto-electronic transducer arrangements, the adjustment and fixing of the lens is particularly difficult. This is particularly true in view of the fact that the lens must be held in an exactly defined position immediately in front of the transducer component over a long period of time. The lens must be held in this position with tolerances in the sub-micrometer range when the optical coupling is to be undertaken with a light waveguide (i.e., a monomode optical fiber). Moreover, a simple and time-efficient adjustment of the lens to optimize the input or, respectively, output from the transducer component is desirable. Furthermore, it is desirable to avoid a deterioration of the transducer component or, respectively, of the active semiconductor chip that occurs due to the mechanical deformation of the lens mount. Finally, an effort must be made to keep the external dimensions of the transducer arrangement small despite the use of the lens-type optical coupling.
European Patent EP-A-0204224 discloses a light transmission or reception component. More specifically, it discloses a method for the manufacture of the component as well as an apparatus for the implementation of the method. The component serves as a coupling to light waveguides. A lens for use as an optical coupling can be indirectly fixed to a carrier by a piece of semiconductor material. The adjustment and fixing of the lens occurs by virtue of a fastening material, preferably solder. The fastening material is melted by heating the material so that it becomes a liquid thereby allowing the solid member serving as the lens carrier to be fixed and adjusted. The fastening material is subsequently cooled to fix the solid member.